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TIL Macy’s canceled its Thanksgiving Day Parade from 1942-1944 during WWII, donating its giant balloon animals for the war effort to make 650 pounds of valuable rubber for the military.
https://rosietheriveter.net/thanksgiving-new-york-1942-44/
https://redd.it/1h1x1r9
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TIL In 1999 a heat wave almost forced two nuclear power stations next to Lake Erie to shut down because the temperature of the water in the lake almost reached the 85 degree limit.
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-aug-10-mn-64303-story.html
https://redd.it/1h1sjdv
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TIL that there are "black companies" in Japan infamous for their shady business practices such as unpaid overtime, verbal abuse and harassment, forcing their employees to work in weekends/holidays and not even letting them quit by threatening to sue or even discredit them at their new workplace
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/08/31/business/japan-workers-resignation-agencies-intl-hnk/index.html
https://redd.it/1h282hl
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TIL Nauru has the highest obesity rate in the world (94.5% overweight, 71.7% obese), caused by the rapid adoption of Western diets after the phosphate mining boom. Traditional diets of fresh fish and vegetables were replaced by processed foods—with devastating health effects.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity_in_Nauru
https://redd.it/1h1ux4w
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TIL That King Baldwin IV was one of the most effective leaders and warriors on the battlefield during the crusades, putting a check on Saladin’s forces multiple times. This is despite being afflicted with leprosy and dying at age 24.
https://www.historydefined.net/baldwin-iv-of-jerusalem/
https://redd.it/1h1xl0g
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TIL Saddam Hussein wrote four novels including a romance drama set during the medieval times. This was believed to be an allegory with the villain representing the United States and the hero representing Saddam Hussein.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saddam_Hussein%27s_novels
https://redd.it/1h1ehgu
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TIL about Blackout Wednesday, or the night before Thanksgiving in Amercia, as people are off work and college students go back home. In some cities, it's the worst drunk driving night of the year.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackout_Wednesday?wprov=sfla1
https://redd.it/1h1dv73
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TIL of Universe 25, an experiment which involved creating a controlled environment Utopia for mice, that ended with abnormal behaviours ultimately leading to the colony's extinction
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-old-experiment-with-mice-led-to-bleak-predictions-for-humanitys-future-180954423/
https://redd.it/1h13fmg
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TIL that melatonin, taken close to the target bedtime at the destination (10pm to midnight), decreases jet‐lag from flights crossing five or more time zones.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8958662/
https://redd.it/1h1cnc6
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TIL children develop and share their own unique folklore (called 'childlore'), including rhymes and games, which often disappear by adolescence and go unnoticed by adults.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childlore
https://redd.it/1h12l2j
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TIL the body has about 0.2 milligrams of gold (worth about $0.012 as of writing this). This small amount of gold is naturally present in the body and plays a role in maintaining joint health and facilitating electrical signal transmission. The total volume of gold purified is 10 nanoliters.
https://thepetridish.my/2021/02/15/how-much-gold-can-be-found-in-human-body/
https://redd.it/1h0cmn2
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TIL that in 2012, a 19 year old Nebraska woman named Hannah Sabata robbed a bank and stole a car.After seemingly getting away with it, she went home and uploaded a video titled "Chick Bank Robber", showing off her stolen items. She was arrested the same day.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/self-proclaimed-chick-bank-robber-seen-on-youtube-video-arrested/
https://redd.it/1h0cy9f
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TIL a schoolteacher ran for Senate on a dare from his students and won the primary to become the official Democratic nominee for Senate from Texas. He became the first minority candidate in Texas history to become a United States Senate nominee from either major party.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Morales_(politician)
https://redd.it/1h0njta
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TIL in 2005, Joaquin Phoenix flipped his car. He heard someone tell him to "just relax". Phoenix replied, "I'm fine. I am relaxed." The man replied, "No, you're not." The man then stopped Phoenix from lighting a cigarette while gasoline was leaking into the car cabin. The man was Werner Herzog.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joaquin_Phoenix
https://redd.it/1h0a8s7
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TIL Flappy Bird, released in May 2013, became a sleeper hit in early 2014, and by the end of January, it was the most downloaded free game on the iOS App Store, earning $50,000 a day. However, the developer soon removed it, citing guilt over "the game's addictive nature and overuse."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flappy_Bird
https://redd.it/1h0dp17
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TIL that when Kurt Russell portrayed Snake Plissken in Escape from New York, he had been starring in Disney productions for much of the previous decade; Russell wanted to escape family-friendly typecasting
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escape_from_New_York
https://redd.it/1h23mxg
@r_til
TIL Thanksgiving’s date wasn’t fixed until 1941. Before that, U.S. presidents chose the date, with George Washington declaring the first national Thanksgiving in 1789. Thomas Jefferson refused to observe it, calling it too religious.
https://www.history.com/news/thomas-jeffersons-complicated-relationship-with-thanksgiving
https://redd.it/1h1v33v
@r_til
TIL Abraham Lincoln's voice was described as surprisingly pitchy (even falsetto like), shrill & nasally. Alongside George Washington's who was noted as high breathy, shaky and so low & quiet "as to call for close attention." Despite this, both were still noted as amazing orators from onlookers.
https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2018/01/hearing-abraham-lincolns-voice/#:~:text=Journalist%20Horace%20White%20described%20Lincoln,and%20unpleasant%20sound.%E2%80%9D%20For%20most
https://redd.it/1h1wou0
@r_til
TIL Legendary actress Sarah Bernhardt once broke an umbrella over a theater usher's head when he called her "little Bernhardt". She apologized profusely and 20 years later when the usher retired she bought him a house.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Bernhardt#:~:text=Her%20hot%20temper%20also%20got%20her%20into%20trouble%3B
https://redd.it/1h23ded
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TIL that the picture “The Scream” by Edvard Munch does not depict a person screaming, but rather someone reacting to hearing a scream.
https://culturezvous.com/en/edvard-munch-the-scream-analysis-masterpiece/
https://redd.it/1h20n2j
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TIL that edible underwear was invented when a couple was drunk and stoned while discussing the phrase "eat my shorts"
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/588051/edible-underwear-candypants-history
https://redd.it/1h1cldz
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TIL that a failed audition for the sitcom CHEERS led to the unplanned creation of one of the series most beloved characters,Cliff Clavin.
https://geektyrant.com/news/john-ratzenberger-explains-how-he-turned-a-failed-audition-into-his-11-season-role-of-cliff-clavin-on-cheers
https://redd.it/1h1gkxt
@r_til
TIL there is no official Calvin and Hobbes merchandise besides the compilation books. Bill Watterson was vehemently against merchandising his characters and even went as far as to say, "Only thieves and vandals have made money on Calvin and Hobbes merchandise."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Watterson#Fight_against_merchandising_his_characters
https://redd.it/1h13xqv
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TIL that in 1989, Patricia Stallings was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of her first son via antifreeze poisoning. and had another son who was taken to foster care but was diagnosed with MMA, a genetic disorder. It was found that the first son also had MMA, and Stallings was released.
https://people.com/archive/the-murder-that-never-was-vol-36-no-23/
https://redd.it/1h145qk
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TIL: Astronaut Anne McClain was the first person to be investigated for space crime in 2019, when her estranged wife accused her of accessing her bank account while in space. Fortunately, investigators found the accusations were false and her now ex was charged with making false statements.
https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2020/04/07/army-astronaut-accused-of-committing-crime-in-space-is-cleared-ex-wife-charged-with-making-false-statements/
https://redd.it/1h191a9
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TIL that people who have been strangled by their partner are at a 750% to 1000% increased risk of being murdered. Strangulation is a significant indicator of potential homicide and causes severe and lasting damage, including brain damage and memory loss
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2573025/
https://redd.it/1h0pp2k
@r_til
TIL that it used to be illegal to own gold as a private citizen. It was enacted in 1933 under the belief that the hoarding of gold was worsening the Great Depression. It was repealed in 1974.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_Order_6102
https://redd.it/1h0a7oh
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TIL that Egypt’s Suez Canal is nicknamed among seafarers as the ‘Marlboro Canal’ due to the corruption of some of its employees that ask for Marlboro cigarettes cartons as a bribe to make things go easier.
https://www.newarab.com/opinion/ship-merchant-exposes-rampant-extortion-egypts-marlboro-canal
https://redd.it/1h0bjj2
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TIL that after being investigated by the FTC for their pyramid scheme-like business practices, the FTC charged Herbalife $200 million but failed to outright call them a pyramid scheme.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2016/07/15/federal-trade-commission-herbalife/87119208/
https://redd.it/1h0ijn5
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TIL Empress Elisabeth of Austria was assassinated by an anarchist who intended to kill any random royal he could find, no matter who they were. She was traveling under a fake name without security because she hated processions, but the killer knew her whereabouts because a local paper leaked it
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empress_Elisabeth_of_Austria#Assassination
https://redd.it/1h0lwx1
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